


Calling Cards

by royalDelirium



Category: Persona 3, Persona 5
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-24
Updated: 2018-12-24
Packaged: 2019-09-26 10:17:26
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,004
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17139929
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/royalDelirium/pseuds/royalDelirium
Summary: An old friend of death.A customer late in the night.A single card left behind.





	Calling Cards

  ** _Is this the end?_**

_The world faded around him, darkness swallowing him whole, sinking away from all feeling and sensation. The sounds of the fighting, the shouts of his name, none of it reached him anymore as he sank, deeper and deeper._

_His back hit something solid and he forced his eyes open, the light was blinding. A single shadow stood just within his vision, reaching for him. A gentle hand brushed his hair away from his forehead._

**_You don’t belong here yet._ **

_Akira tried to reach out, to push his voice out. Who are you? Even though he couldn’t really see the shadow, he felt as though they smiled. The shadow filled his vision, leaning in and pressing a soft kiss to his forehead._

**_An old friend of death, now wake up._ **

“Wait!” Akira shouted reaching out into the empty air.

“Joker!” A chorus of shouts met him and his space was filled with his friends, crowding around him. Tears filled eyes and relief was the taste of the air. “You are awake!”

Looking around confused, something was missing, but he just couldn’t put his finger on it. But the feeling faded and he basked in the affection of his friends.

The bell chimed, startling Akira from his mental wanderings. Quickly he straightened up, the thought of Sojiro-san scolding him for leaning on the counter while a customer was in the shop echoed in his head. Putting on a service smile and adjusting his glasses he turned to greet the guest, but the words caught in his throat.

The young man who walked into the coffee shop was breathtaking. Akira couldn’t describe the feeling he had stirring inside him, it was almost a mix of nostalgia and like the feeling he got when with the other Phantom Thieves, as if clicking into place and everything was just right. The glow that seemed to surround this guest faded as he turned his gaze from the rest of the room and his eyes met Akira’s.

Clearing his throat and putting the smile back into place he finally spoke to the man, “hello and welcome to LeBlanc.”

“Hello,” he responded, taking a seat at the counter, directly in front of Akira.

“What can I get for you today?”

Those dark eyes slowly looked him over, he could feel the gaze as he followed its path. His head tilted to the side and the other eye was revealed from behind bangs. “I’ll take whatever you recommend.”

Quickly setting to work, he focused on making this cup perfect. “So what brings you here? I haven’t seen you around and usually we only get regulars here.”

The young man hummed quietly, “I was told that if I came to Tokyo I should come to Cafe Leblanc.”

“You aren’t from Tokyo?” Akira asked setting the cup down in front of the customer.

“No, I am not from around here.”

The young man gave him a smile that reminded him of someone, but he couldn’t quite figure out who, before taking the cup in his hands. Thin fingers wrap around the porcelain and lift it to his face. Eyes slid closed as he took in a breath and the scent of the coffee. A single sip, a murmured word, and a nod were the responses to the taste.

Akira swallows hard, “so what brings you to Tokyo?”

The young man gently set the cup down, his eyes looking straight at Akira before he turned his head to look at the TV currently playing the news. “I came to see the rumors regarding the Phantom Thieves.”

His heart skipped a beat, “so you-.”

His words were cut off, “Minato.” The startled confused look had the customer speaking again, “it’s not you, it’s Arisato Minato, Minato is fine.”

“Minato,” Akira said weighing the name on his tongue, it felt good, it felt right. “I am Kurusu Akira.”

  
“Akira,” the sound of his name caught his heart mid beat. “And yes, I am interested in the Phantom Thieves.”

Those eyes went straight through him to his soul. It was if they were piercing through to his persona. He almost could feel Arsene react.

The silence was thick, it felt suffocating. It was very similar to facing Mishima, someone who absolutely knew no matter what sorts of denials he was given. The pressure that seemed to be rising suddenly cut off and Minato took another drink of his coffee.

“This is very good.”

“Thank you,” Akira said, swallowing the knot in his throat, “so where did you hear about the Phantom Thieves?”

As soon as the words were out he winced, obviously the news had been broadcasting about them non-stop recently. There weren’t many people who didn’t know about them, even people who didn’t live in the city. Before he could take back the words, Minato’s lips twitched.

“I am an old friend of death,” were the words that came forth, “death told me.”

**An old friend of death.** His vision clouded and the world faded. A soft breath danced across his forehead and a gentle kiss was placed there. **You don’t belong here yet.**

Shaking his head the thought of Takemi-san came to his thoughts. The death arcana. But no one but him and potentially the Velvet Room residents would know that. So what did he mean by that.

He opened his eyes again, not realizing he had closed them. Turning back around the chair was empty. Looking around the room Minato was nowhere to be found. He hadn’t heard the bell, was he that lost in thought? Looking at the clock he choked on his breath, midnight, when did it get so late?

Gathering the emptied cup he notices that two things were left behind. Exact payment for the coffee and a single card. The Fool. But this wasn’t the Fool he recognized, this card was different from his. Flipping it back and forth it yielded no more clues. Pocketing the card, he cleaned up and locked the front, questions for another day.

 


End file.
